The Department of Defense released the quarterly suicide report (QSR), today, for the first quarter of calendar year 2014. The report summarizes suicide counts for all services and components. During the months of January through March of this year, there were 74 suicides among service members in the active component, 24 suicides among service members in the reserves, and 22 suicides among service members in the National Guard.

 

The report also shows 2013 annual counts and annual rates as published last month in the 2013 4th Quarter DoD QSR, as well as 2012 annual counts and annual rates as published in the DoD Suicide Event Report (DoDSER) Calendar Year 2012 Annual Report. The QSR is intended to communicate the department's suicide data on a routine and frequent basis. A breakdown of first quarter, 2014, suicide counts and resources for service members and their families, who may be facing challenges, can be found at: http://www.suicideoutreach.org/SuicideData/quarterly_reports.htm.

 

One resource is the Military Crisis Line, which offers free and confidential support to service members in crisis or anyone who knows a service member who is. The service is staffed by caring, qualified responders from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), many who have served in the military themselves. Support is offered through the crisis line, online chat, and text-messaging services for all service members (active, National Guard and reserve) and veterans 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year by visiting the Military Crisis Line website at http://veteranscrisisline.net/ActiveDuty.aspx; Online Chat at:http://www.veteranscrisisline.net/ChatTermsOfService.aspx; sending a text to: 838255 or calling toll free at: 1-800-273-8255, Press 1